AI Summary
5 min read“I had my boyfriend drive up from Virginia to come and see the Yiddish Book Center. He now is my husband.” That is how one panelist on this episode of New Books in Jewish Studies describes the gravitational pull of the Yiddish-learning world—a world that, by many measures, is currently booming. YIVO’s own community of Yiddish learners has expanded roughly tenfold in the last two years, Duolingo has added a Yiddish course, and movies and TV shows now feature the language. But is this a genuine “Yiddish Renaissance,” or something more complicated? To answer that, the episode assembles four movers and shakers in contemporary Yiddish culture: journalist and playwright Rukhl Schaechter, scholar and editor-in-chief of In geveb Jessica Kirzane, scholar and host of the Vaybertaytsh feminist Yiddish podcast Sandy Fox, and YIVO’s director of education Ben Kaplan. Their conversation—moderated by YIVO’s Alex Weiser—surveys who is learning Yiddish today, what they are doing with it, and whether the language’s present vitality signals a durable future or a fleeting spike in interest.
Who Learns Yiddish and Why
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Introduction & Panel Setup** - Host Alex Weiser introduces YIVO, the panelists, and frames the central question of whether we are in a Yiddish renaissance.
- 2 (03:39) **Panelists' Yiddish Journeys** - Each panelist shares their personal path to learning Yiddish, revealing themes of identity, community, and cultural discovery.
- 3 (12:45) **Who is Learning Yiddish Today?** - The panel discusses the diverse motivations and backgrounds of contemporary Yiddish learners, moving beyond simple family heritage.
- 4 (19:15) **What Are People Doing With Yiddish?** - Panelists describe the grassroots, creative, and often public-facing projects that Yiddish learners and speakers are undertaking.
- 5 (25:36) **The *Vaybertaytsh* Podcast & Digital Yiddish** - Sandy Fox details the founding and philosophy of her feminist Yiddish podcast, and the panel explores the role of digital tools in Yiddish culture.
- 6 (40:50) **The "Post-Vernacular" Debate** - The panel grapples with Jeffrey Shandler's concept of Yiddish as a "post-vernacular" language and its relevance today.
- 7 (49:45) **Is There a Yiddish Renaissance? The Future** - The panel answers the central question and offers predictions for Yiddish's future, emphasizing sustainability and potential over a simple "renaissance."
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Show Notes
Are we currently experiencing a Yiddish renaissance? This is one of the questions we are often asked at YIVO. YIVO’s own community of Yiddish learners has expanded more than 10-fold in the last two years. Duolingo has added Yiddish as a language. Headline after headline touts Yiddish as unexpectedly alive and well. What does this all mean for Yiddish in the 21st century?
Join YIVO for a conversation about the Yiddish world today. Led by YIVO’s Director of Public Programs Alex Weiser, this program will feature journalist and playwright Rokhl Kafrissen, scholar and In Geveb Editor-in-chief Jessica Kirzane, scholar and Yiddish podcast founder and host Sandra Fox, and YIVO’s Director of Education Ben Kaplan.
This panel discussion originally took place on June 1, 2022.
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